BY HOOK OR CROOK.

North Otago Times, 26 July 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

BY HOOK OR CROOK.

"Copyright" v

RV K DALLIXJIRT • • • ;<lt s- a honst.ly, shame.!' Thai's what it is ! The. -idea of.a helpless widow n?ul orphan. homy turned ■ out 01 their lifelong homo because a rascally scoundrel like Eccles.happens to hold , n deed to their property, in payment of an infernal gambling debt. Depend , upon it, oid Morrison was blind .drunk when lie made that deed for, worthless though he was, : 1 don't believe lie was ever tad enough ;o::vv,v that property away fnim Mrs Morrison and Grace unless he hail p.cviously reaehed a state that hii ens beyond all realisation of m liatl (lone, l'-.i'. 'Hot fact, o( course, can V es:ablished, since old Morri!>i«i has l«i:g ago gone to' a place -iliero I hoi,e . he'll get hi# just, deifrts. If tVe ii.'n of tin's country i'd coijimu . : ty p-oposj, to sit quiot- •< by ana permit ;-'ra.c Morrison and >:r mot.*'/' to bo dispossessed of 'Ur only shelter, I'd just liko to know wiure 'our boasted Southern chivalry comosih." ... | 'he speaker paused for breath and •*e ycting nian who sat near him upon tlm wide verandah of the fi ut hern Maryland home quietly relied: cited, old man! I realise, quite • iletl, old man! 1 realize quite Keenly the painful situation in which my interesting clients are placed, and my desire to help them is naturally even stronger than yours could !.<o; but Instead of fuming over the waiter as you are doing, I am trying to concentrate all my faculties upon the task of Jinding some solution t.o the problem. Have you any .suggestions to make?" : "U" answered the other, blankly,

'don't ask nle for suggestions. I'm ■lot a lawyer; and the case is not in my hands either; but I'll tell you frankly, Dent, that this case is going to be year crucial tost as far. as your success, in this community is concerned. Go in and win, old boy! You have the sentiment of the entire' population on your side and you know how often 1 lmve told yon that you need never hope to succeed unless you lirst manage to engage the sympathetic interest of our people, since they must bo , approached through their sentiments." "Very good, Dicky, as far as it 'Rocs; but in this case I fear I've got lots ot hustling to do before I can even think about my prospects of winning out. If only there existed

ii possibility of picking a flaw in Hie deed, matters would look less hopeless for my clients, but I daresay that unprincipled old rascal Eccles is far 100 sharp to allow any technical irregularities to escape him." "1 should say he is," replied Dicky ■ Woodford, "Like all slippery scamps of his type, he is three parts lawyer, and the fourth part rogue, so the deed is a cast-iron one, you may be sure. However, , there was never a chain made that was without one weak link, and you are the man Jto find that one." "f am afraid you overrate my ability, Dicky. I' realize the fact

Hint I'm up against a stiff proposition, but I mean to checkmate that old ruffian by fair means, if possible; if not I shall fight him with his own weapons." llruce flout had boarded in the home of Dick Woodford ever since the latter had persuaded him to locate in the same town where he himself had settled; and so tho viendship which had. sprung up in boyhood between the two had been ■strengthened and cemented by their :!oso association through mature

years. On the morning following the conversation previously described, iVoodford, upon coming down to breakfast, found Dent out on the verandah toiling over a lot of fishing tackle, "Hello!" he cried. "I'm just in lite mood for a day's fishing; glad the notion struck you. I'll get my rod in a jiffy !" Dent looked up with a quizzical smile and said : "Sorry, old chap, hut I'll have to decline your company upon this occasion, since I have a previous engagement with Cnte, Colonel Eccles' negro man-ser-vant, and for many reasons, you would lie decidedly 'do trop.' " "What kind of a throw-down ,arc vou trying to give mo," asked tVondford testily. Then catching sight of the twinkle in Dent's eye, lie laughed comprehending!)' as ho said : "Aha ! So that's your game, eh ? Well, I wish yon luck, and devoutly hope you'll make an import-

ant capture of the sort of fish you're after."

An hour later Dent sfit is the bow of ft small rowboat, the other end of which was occupied by the sable retainer of the man whose roguish schemes he was bent upon defeating. Bending all his weight upon an oar, Cnte held the boat well in shore: while Dent was engaged in—fishing ? Ordinarily, 'Catc was inclined to be laciiurn, but under the subtle influence of a spirit which had been confined within a flat bottle that Deiit thoughtfully slipped into his pocket, 'he became extremely . loquacious :

"Yas, sir," he exclaimed, "Kunnel Eccles satinly is the most 'spicious 1 1 ever seed; 'deed, sir, he is. You nevah ketch hint a trussin' anybody what's roun' him. I just nachilly 1 bloeve that ar man don't right true' | his own self! Ho sholy don't! If , evah T lin' him a trussin' anybody' ■ tall I'm goin' right out and buy a crape ban' fo' my hat. I sholy is, ' for I know when he do dat he's just iiachelly giflin ready to pass ovali; yas, sir, ho sholy is. Where he keep his papers, you say? Why,, ritht in dc top drnwah of his old bureau what lie have in his bed-room; one of these ycr m'hagerny slab 'pon do • top. Yas, sir, ho always keeps it locked light, and he wears do koy in a chain roun' his nock, Jus' as if somebody would steal a lot of old no 'count papors. Huh I" After Gate's tongue had run on in t.hls way for an hour or two Dent

! curldenly decided he had had enough ! Bshlng for the day and ordered Cato (to row; back to the landing. [• It was mid : August, and the case of I V-fcli-s vs. Mwi'ison Was to bo called I fit the September term of court. As 'the precious days slipped rapidly by ' the soul of Dick Woodford chafed .within him at the apparent indiflor- , ence displayed by Dent. At ;tho very. I time when he ought to have been ! moving Heaven and earth to obtain J Some developments in favour of his ' clients, he .seemed to have complete-' "ly given himself up to the languor of J tho• ,mid-summer's heat,: lounging t about with the most nonchalant" air lof idle case. Again and again did , Woodford try to arouso . him to .the j necessity of immediate' .action, but I his efforts Invai'iablymo.twith no

olhcr reward than a light/ carelessly good-natured laugh; with which Dent dismissed the subject.. ■ •' : One r evenlng, during the last week of August Woodford ■ accompanied Dent upon an Informal visit to tho Morrison's hotno.endwhllethoro ho was R(hick^by ; tho Implicit trust; and ronddoiico which Grace Morrison' and linrmnihor scorned to place in Dent, anil tlit efforts • ho mmaHltig . i Mr lidmlf. App&vontly ttioy felt ■ol til) (MM teW tl 19 Hi ill-

w.ato, successot tlielr .: case,: and when lie thought of tho real hopelessness of their Hituution, and of Dent/a inaction, ho swore fiercely under- hia breath. Once home, ho turnedjilcrco1} on Dent, and said "Look here; Bruce, it vou are deluding Mrs. Morrison and Grace with false hopes and deceiving them as to tho real status of their case never expect me to take your hand again." Dent regarded him-with n queer expression as he replied; "Sorry, you think" me such a beastly cad ; I did. hope you-had abetter knowledge of me than that." .

So full of -'righteous indignation ; was his tone that- Dick'Woodford hastened to apologise. "Ileg pardon, old man; I'm sure - I did not mean to force your, confi- .' deuce. If you have any plan, of • campaign formed by all means keep it to yourself until your own good, time for revealing it arrives. I only meant to condemn your maddening indifference,,your apparent unconcern lis to the issue of tho case, but I sco tlmt it, is only a bluff you are putling up to hide your real gamo." "flight you are I" answered Dent, "There are two or three things that I. do not' think it wise to mention even to you, old boy, so I must ask' you to trust me as wholly as Mrs, : Morrison and her daughter aro doing," And Woodford did. It is possible that thero aro a few able-bodied citizens in the community who were not crowded into the courtroom on the day the case ofEccles vs, Morrison came up for trial but when those present looked over the throng they found it hard to realize the fact. .

After the usual preliminaries and' tiresome skirmishes between the op< posing counsel for the defendant do» manding that the "alleged" deed conveying the Morrison homestead to Colonel Eccles lie produced in court. To this demand counsel for the plaintiff offered no opposition, and so Colonel Eccles the aristocratic gambler and blackleg, came forward, and after being sworn, briefly explained the citcunistances under, which the deed came into his possession ; then, opening a small box he carried in his hand, lie cast a triumphant glance across at the plaintiffs as they sat with their counsel, and reached into tho box for the deed. •

The next instant a blank expression came over his face, which grew livid with surprised rage as he continued fumbling over the contents. Presently, in a half:chqked voice ha exclaimed : "There has been some un* accountable mistake. I find I have! not the paper with me as I supposed but if the court will allow me, I will' return home at once, and search for it and will produce it as soon as possible." i

A recess was immediately called,! and the alarmed and mystified Eccles; hurried home to execute a thoroughj search for tho missing deed. In less 1 than half an hour he was back, look-' ing graver and more ashy than when) he left and fairly foaming at the! mouth with impotent rage. Rapidly forcing his way to thes . judge's bench, be cried: "Judge, !• have been robbed 1 There has been, some infernal trickery for which t swear someone will pay dearly. The deed has been stolen from me I'' But the Judge sternly interposed: "Have a care I Colonel Eccles, this is a grave charge to make unless you can back it by satisfactory proof. Where had you beon keeping the deed alleged to have been ia your possession?" "Judge, I have always kept ft In a dispatch box which I kept In the'top drawer of the bureau in my sleeping apartment which was always secure* ly locked, tho key being carried on a chain round my neck, never putting _ it off either sleeping or waking, yet, though there is not the slightest evl' donee that, tho lcck of tho blireati lias been tampered with, the deed IS gone 1" ' "Have you ever filed a copy of the deed ?" asked the judge. "N—No I" replied tho baffled Colonel.

"That," replied the Judge, dryly, "is most unfortunate, since it leaves me no alternative but to close the case until the missing deed can be produced."

Then followed a scone 'that beggars, description. In an instant the court room became a pandemonium of; .shouting, cheering, yelling men, aj forest of waving canes, umbrellas,; handkerchiefs. • In the midst of the' confusion Mrs. Morrison and Grace,! escorted by Dent, slipped quietly out! by a rear door and were quickly driven home.

It is safe to conjecture that Dent felt amply rewarded by what he read) in Grace's lovely eyes for his ser»! vices in the case, whatever they might have been. Late that night, Dick Woodford and Dent sat talking! confidentially together, when presently Dick observed : "I say, Dent! I; know I've no right to query you on professional matters, but to relieve the curiosity that is consuming me,' do tell me, like a good fellow, just how you managed to make awayi with that deed ?"

"I!" said Dent, innocently, opening wide eyes of surprise. "Oh I chuck that," laughed Dick,' "I wasn't born yesterday." '

"Well," answered Dent, reflectively, "did you ever notice the construction! of an old-fashioned, marble-toppea bureau ?"

"Oh! don't go into beastly den tails," replied the other. ; - "Perfectly rovclant, dear boy," an-; swered Dent, "did you ever see the slab of such a bureau nailed down?".'" "Of course not," said Dick. "They 1 ; arc so heavy that they are kept in place by their own weight." "Precisely. Likewise did you ever, notice the arms of Cate, Colonel "Eccles man-servant ?" "Oh, bother Gate's arms."

"Don't they look muscular enough to lift the marble top of! a bureau i( 'twas worth his while?"

Woodford stared a second, then ha btirst into a hearty laugh, and,, slapping Dent on the shoulder, eja< culated i "Dont, old man, you i mighty'warm-number.'"